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le lizard； 鈥渢his piece of work was not quite asoriginal as it appeared。鈥潯he belemnite； it turned out； had been discovered four years earlierby an amateur naturalist named chaning pearce； and the discovery had been fully reported ata meeting of the geological society。 owen had been at that meeting； but failed to mentionthis when he presented a report of his own to the royal society鈥攊n which； not incidentally；he rechristened the creature belemnites owenii in his own honor。 although owen was allowedto keep the royal medal； the episode left a permanent tarnish on his reputation； even amonghis few remaining supporters。
eventually huxley managed to do to owen what owen had done to so many others： he hadhim voted off the councils of the zoological and royal societies。 as a final insult huxleybecame the new hunterian professor at the royal college of surgeons。
owen would never again do important research； but the latter half of his career was devotedto one unexceptionable pursuit for which we can all be grateful。 in 1856 he became head ofthe natural history section of the british museum； in which capacity he became the drivingforce behind the creation of london鈥檚 natural history museum。 the grand and belovedgothic heap in south kensington； opened in 1880； is almost entirely a testament to his vision。
before owen； museums were designed primarily for the use and edification of the elite； andeven then it was difficult to gain access。 in the early days of the british museum； prospectivevisitors had to make a written application and undergo a brief interview to determine if theywere fit to be admitted at all。 they then had to return a second time to pick up a ticket鈥攖hat isassuming they had passed the interview鈥攁nd finally e back a third time to view themuseum鈥檚 treasures。 even then they were whisked through in groups and not allowed tolinger。 owen鈥檚 plan was to wele everyone； even to the point of encouraging workingmento visit in the evening； and to devote most of the museum鈥檚 space to public displays。 he evenproposed； very radically； to put informative labels on each display so that people couldappreciate what they were viewing。 in this； somewhat unexpectedly； he was opposed by t。 h。
huxley； who believed that museums should be primarily research institutes。 by making thenatural history museum an institution for everyone； owen transformed our expectations ofwhat museums are for。
still； his altruism in general toward his fellow man did not deflect him from more personalrivalries。 one of his last official acts was to lobby against a proposal to erect a statue inmemory of charles darwin。 in this he failed鈥攖hough he did achieve a certain belated；inadvertent triumph。 today his statue mands a masterly view from the staircase of themain hall in the natural history museum； while darwin and t。 h。 huxley are consignedsomewhat obscurely to the museum coffee shop； where they stare gravely over peoplesnacking on cups of tea and jam doughnuts。
it would be reasonable to suppose that richard owen鈥檚 petty rivalries marked the low pointof nineteenth…century paleontology； but in fact worse was to e； this time from overseas。 inamerica in the closing decades of the century there arose a rivalry even more spectacularlyvenomous； if not quite as destructive。 it was between two strange and ruthless men； edwarddrinker cope and othniel charles marsh。
they had much in mon。 both were spoiled； driven； self…centered； quarrelsome； jealous；mistrustful； and ever unhappy。 between them they changed the world of paleontology。
they began as mutual friends and admirers； even naming fossil species after each other；and spent a pleasant week together in 1868。 however； something then went wrong betweenthem鈥攏obody is quite sure what鈥攁nd by the following year they had developed an enmitythat would grow into consuming hatred over the next thirty years。 it is probably safe to saythat no two people in the natural sciences have ever despised each other more。
marsh； the elder of the two by eight years； was a retiring and bookish fellow； with a trimbeard and dapper manner； who spent little time in the field and was seldom very good atfinding things when he was there。 on a visit to the famous dinosaur fields of o bluff；wyoming； he failed to notice the bones that were； in the words of one historian； 鈥渓yingeverywhere like logs。鈥潯ut he had the means to buy almost anything he wanted。 although hecame from a modest background鈥攈is father was a farmer in upstate new york鈥攈is uncle was the supremely rich and extraordinarily indulgent financier george peabody。 when marshshowed an interest in natural history； peabody had a museum built for him at yale andprovided funds sufficient for marsh to fill it with almost whatever took his fancy。
cope was born more directly into privilege鈥攈is father was a rich philadelphiabusinessman鈥攁nd was by far the more adventurous of the two。 in the summer of 1876 inmontana while george armstrong custer and his troops were being cut down at little bighorn； cope was out hunting for bones nearby。 when it was pointed out to him that this wasprobably not the most prudent time to be taking treasures from indian lands； cope thought fora minute and decided to press on anyway。 he was having too good a season。 at one point heran into a party of suspicious crow indians； but he managed to win them over by repeatedlytaking out and replacing his false teeth。
for a decade or so； marsh and cope鈥檚 mutual dislike primarily took the form of quietsniping； but in 1877 it erupted into grandiose dimensions。 in that year a coloradoschoolteacher named arthur lakes found bones near morrison while out hiking with a friend。
recognizing the bones as ing from a 鈥済igantic saurian；鈥潯akes thoughtfully dispatchedsome samples to both marsh and cope。 a delighted cope sent lakes a hundred dollars for histrouble and asked him not to tell anyone of his discovery； especially marsh。 confused； lakesnow asked marsh to pass the bones on to cope。 marsh did so； but it was an affront that hewould never forget。
it also marked the start of a war between the two that became increasingly bitter；underhand； and often ridiculous。 they some